Kornberg speaking at a 2017 dinner gala. “Jessie is completely and unrelentingly focused
on the big picture,” says a colleague.

get more bees with honey, but getting alongis not what guarantees the better outcome;that’s just how I do my best work.”Although she loved her four and a halfyears as a trial attorney, Kornberg realizedshe didn’t have the same fervor as hercounterparts. “I wasn’t willing to die onevery discovery mountain the way I sawother litigators do,” she says. “That wasone in a series of clues to myself that Iwas probably going to go back to publicinterest work eventually.”

BET TZEDEK WAS FOUNDED IN 1974 by
a group of lawyers and rabbis seeking to
act upon a central tenet of Jewish law and
tradition: Tzedek, tzedek, tirdof: Justice,
justice you shall pursue.

Kornberg oversees an annual budget of
approximately $8 million in cash and $15
million in services, and works with a board
of directors that comprises 55 people.
She says there are no borders between
her personal and professional life—her
kitchen is often filled with volunteers and
donors. “In the face of all of this stuff that’s
coming our way—budget cuts, really tough
policy changes and deportation surges—
we’re trying to create opportunities for
underserved communities,” she says.

As an example, Bet Tzedek is helping
protect the rights of Los Angeles’
undocumented citizens—from filing taxes
for workers to caregiver planning for
U.S.-born children in the event that their
parents are deported.

“It has been a confounding experienceto, on the one hand, be so disturbed andanxious by new threats facing our clients,and, on the other hand, be so inspired bythe energy and ferocity [with which] mystaff is responding to it,” she says. “I’malways looking for a silver lining. If I’m notan optimist, I’m at least an opportunist. Ifnothing else, it’s my job as the leader ofthis organization to always try to figure outhow to do best for our clients and staff inthe face of new challenges. That’s the basicdescription of a leader: coping with change.”“Jessie is completely and unrelentinglyfocused on the big picture,” says SonyaPassi, the founder and CEO of FreeFrom,an L.A. nonprofit helping survivors ofdomestic abuse build financial stability.

Passi, who received a fellowship from
Ms. JD while Kornberg was its executive
director, has a story about the first time
they met in person. It was at a breakfast
shortly after Kornberg assumed her post
at Bet Tzedek. “She had ideas for sponsors
for our events and volunteered to emcee
our first big fundraiser,” Passi says. “She’s
not someone who is constantly looking
to make her next career move. She is
constantly giving back.”

Passi says the first words out ofKornberg’s mouth were indicative: “Howcan I help you?”

If You Want to Help

Bet Tzedek is always on thelookout for volunteers, legaland otherwise. “We need allthe help that we can get,”Kornberg says.bettzedek.org/get-involved